Design and manufacturing of an innovative triple-layer thermo-insulated fabric

Materials used for creating fabrics featuring insulation and thermoregulation are typically made of multi-layer materials consisting of two outer layers and an inner padding, traditionally made from goose or duck feathers or even with synthetic materials. In this context, the development of a fabric in which the insulation is carried out directly thanks to the structure of its weave, i.e. where the thermoregulation function is entrusted to one of the yarns (suitably volumized to reduce its density and trap the air) may be an important improvement compared to the state of the art. Accordingly, the present work describes the development of a new kind of triple-layer thermo-insulated innovative fabric (named T4Innovation), in which the thermal insulation is not obtained by means of a padding but rather through the use of appropriate volumized yarns, able to ensure thermal insulation in a reduced thickness. This fabric is manufactured in a single weaving phase, greatly facilitating the subsequent operations of the garment maker. The designed and manufactured fabric was extensively tested to assess its performance. Test demonstrated the effectiveness of such a new class of textile product in terms of thermal performance, which is comparable to the ones of a padded material. Since T4Innovation demonstrates aesthetic properties very close to the one of traditional unpadded fabrics, its future commercialization could open new horizons in terms of design, fashion and style, which are cornerstones of the fashion textile industry.